Webster still in hunt for soccer stadium

City still in hunt for stadiumWebster among those to have submitted proposal for soccer facility to house Dynamo

THAYER EVANS, Chronicle Correspondent

Published 5:30 am, Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Of the four cities being considered for a new soccer stadium complex to be built by the Houston Dynamo, Webster is one of two to have submitted a proposal to the team in hopes of landing the facility.

The team has proposals from both Webster and Pearland, team president Oliver Luck said.

Houston and Sugar Land are the other cities in contention for the stadium complex. Luck said the Dynamo hopes to receive proposals from both of those cities soon.

"We've said to the communities that have an interest that we'd like to be in a position by the first or second week of April to focus on one site and begin the process of getting a contract done," he said.

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Betsy Giusto, Webster's economic development director, would not confirm that the city had submitted a proposal to the Dynamo or provide specifics on it. She has previously said that there are several possible sites in the city for a stadium complex.

Luck said the team has conducted preliminary engineering work in every city except Webster.

"The ball is in Oliver's court," Giusto said. "We're waiting on Oliver."

The Dynamo won the Major League Soccer championship this past season after the franchise moved to Houston from San Jose, Calif., in 2005. It now plays its home games at the University of Houston's Robertson Stadium, which seats 32,000.

The team is interested in building a stadium similar to that of 20,500-seat Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, a suburb of Dallas, that is home of FC Dallas, another Major League Soccer team.

Luck declined to comment as to whether one of the four cities is the favorite for the stadium complex. Webster remains a viable option, he said.

"It has a great location between Galveston and Houston," Luck said. "They've been maybe more aggressive than anybody in pursuing us."

City Councilman Floyd Myers said he would have to know the city's final details of a possible agreement with the Dynamo before he could determine if he will support it. He said he has not seen the proposal submitted to the team by the city.

"I'm not immediately opposed," Myers said. "I'll want to look at what it is. It's going to have to provide some real benefit for the citizens."

City Councilman Carlos Villagomez said he also has not seen the city's proposal. Nonetheless, he is "very interested" in the Dynamo making its home in Webster.

"Soccer is a big sport, especially here in Texas," Villagomez said. "It's getting hot. Every time they've had a soccer team come to Reliant Stadium, it's a sellout. I think soccer is going to be bigger than football."